Hilary Benn: Following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2007, the Prime Minister and I invited Sir lain Anderson to conduct a review to see if the lessons of the 2001 outbreak had been learned and to recommend what further steps might be taken. Sir lain published his review in March 2008 and I am laying the Government's response before Parliament today.
	As we saw in 2007, even when confined to a small number of infected premises in the same area, the impact of an outbreak can be considerable on the livestock sector, food businesses, and the wider community.
	Sir lain commended the Government's overall handling of the 2007 outbreak. He stated that
	"many of the lessons identified in the 2002 report had been acted upon and performance, taken as a whole, was much improved". "In analysing how the 2007 outbreak was handled, with its innumerable, interwoven decisions and actions, we found much to applaud, along with some deficiencies. On balance, the positive easily outweighs the negative".
	I am grateful to Sir lain for his review and for the recognition of how Government and the livestock industry tackled the outbreak in partnership. However, even though most things were handled well, I acknowledge that there are always lessons to be learned and ways in which we can do better.
	The Government have accepted all of Sir Iain's 26 recommendations contained in the main body of his report. Since 2007, we have dealt with other exotic diseases by applying what we have learned from the foot and mouth outbreak, and as a result we are now better prepared. I am committed to continuing to work with the industry to ensure this remains the case.
	Our response also comments on Sir Iai's personal recommendation to reposition the Institute of Animal Health as a new National Institute of Infectious Disease. DEFRA, DIUS and BBSRC have discussed over the past year the future facilities needed for animal health in the UK and specifically the future management and arrangements at IAH Pirbright. BBSRC will continue to fund the Institute for Animal Health so that it can provide the nation with world class research facilities that underpin the livestock industries and our food security. DIUS expects BBSRC soon to submit a business case for the redevelopment of the site at Pirbright to allow the continuation of world class research there on animal diseases. DEFRA will continue to work with DIUS and BBSRC to ensure that the national provision of research, diagnosis and surveillance enables effective disease detection and response. The Institute for Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency will continue to pursue opportunities for collaboration.
	Copies of the report are available in the Vote Office and at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/2007/index.htm

Rosie Winterton: On 22 May 2008 the then Minister for Pensions Reform announced that John Elbourne had been asked to
	"examine the current arrangements for the engagement of older people and the ability of those arrangements to inform policy and actions of Government at all levels".
	Specifically, this was to include examining Better Government for Older People.
	John Elbourne published his report on 18 November 2008 and the Government received comments up to 9 January 2009. The report made a range of recommendations for improving older people's engagement with Government, which fell into three broad areas: establishing a UK advisory forum for older people, building the capacity for effective dialogue at regional and local level through regional forums and local older people's forums; and withdrawing funding for Better Government for Older People from 1 April 2009 to support the new Government Office arrangements and thereby increasing the funds available for "on the ground" activities.
	The Government are today publishing their response to this report. The Government will establish a new UK-wide forum. The forum will be known as the UK Advisory Forum on Ageing, and I will co-chair this forum with the Minister of State, Department of Health (Phil Hope). This will bring together representative views of older people at a national level, and will build links with forums in the devolved nations, the English regions, and the local level. The Government will set up a new structure with a designated regional co-ordinator for older people's engagement in each English region, providing advocacy and co-ordination for older people and working with older people to set up regional forums on ageing and local forums where they do not already exist. This will build on existing arrangements for engagement with older people and address weaknesses in the current structure. These new arrangements will give older people a direct line into Government at a local, regional and national level.
	Better Government for Older People's response to John Elbourne's review has been to develop a proposal for a new independent body to carry forward their aims. The Department for Work and Pensions will support them in making a smooth transition into this new phase.
	The Governments response can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/ind_review_older_peoples_eng_with_govt.asp
	and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.